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It's winter, and the barn is cold. There's no central heating for the ducks. No quilts for the mice.The animals of Bean Farm know that Mr. Bean can't afford to fix up their barn properly for the coming winter, so Freddy and friends decide to do the next best thing: head to Florida for a vacation.On the way south with the migrating birds, Freddy, Jinx the Cat, Charles the Rooster and the other animals foil burglars, outwit a band of hungry alligators, meet the President, and even uncover buried treasure. Amazon.com Review
Birds migrate south for the winter--why shouldn't farmanimals? In Walter R. Brooks's Freddy Goes to Florida, that'sprecisely what the thoughtful beasts of Mr. Bean's upstate New Yorkfarm decide to do. Not wanting to leave the imperfect yet kindheartedfarm owner in the lurch, they draw straws to select the luckytravelers. A robin draws them a map that shows them how to get toFlorida, and they're off! The parade of animals--Jinx the cat, Freddythe pig, Robert the dog, Hank and Mrs.Wiggins the cows, Mr. andMrs. Webb the spiders, two ducks named Alice, and four mice--causesquite a stir on the cross-country trek. In Washington, D.C., they evenmeet the president, who "shook them each by the claw or a paw ora hoof." After a series of humorous and suspenseful near misses,including a battle of wits with some Florida alligators, they end upsafely back home, where Freddy poetically concludes, "And howeverthey wander, both pigs and men / Are always glad to get homeagain." Brooks is hilariously tongue-in-cheek; his insightfuldescriptions of animal characters are always compassionate; and hissubtle appeal to a child's instinct for justice is no less thanmasterful. As Adam Hochschild of the New York Times Book Reviewwrites, "The moral center of my childhood universe, the placewhere good and evil, friendship and treachery, honesty and humbug weredefined most clearly, was not church, not school, and not the BoyScouts. It was the Bean Farm."

From 1927 to 1958 Brooks wrote 26 Freddy books--including Freddy theDetective--all focused on the well-rounded pig, who has beendescribed by various fans as ingenious, intelligent, loyal, andresourceful. Since Brooks's books fell out of print, librarians acrossthe country have scrounged up copies wherever possible, even resortingto photocopying the books and binding them with hockey-sticktape. Finally, to the delight of thousands, the fabulous Freddy bookshave been reprinted by Overlook Press. Welcome back, Freddy! (Ages 9to 12, but great for reading aloud to younger children.) --KarinSnelson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Delightful series
I must admit that I had never even heard of this series until a month or so ago (I'm nearly 45).I hate that I missed out on these as a kid, but the kid in me is greatly enjoying them now.They are a joy to read.

The only negative that I see is the fact that so much time has passed since these books were written, some of the vocabulary and vernacular present in the books will be unfamiliar or have a much different meaning to kids of today.However, the gentle humor and the life lessons present throughout the Freddy series are ageless, and well worth your money and your children's time.Highly recommended.

Nice, old-fashioned children's classic
Originally published in 1928, this is the first of about a dozen children's books starring Freddy, a clever young pig with a taste for adventure. If you are looking for books for little kids that aren't too scary, too violent or laden with issues such as peer pressure,etc., this is a very good option. The story is a little slow-moving, but it's still clever and engaging, and other than a little bit of sexism (a barnyard rooster in henpecked by his wife) this holds up remarkably well for a story written before the Great Depression. Lots of different animals make up the cast, so if you are reading it aloud, there are good opportunities for doing different voices, etc.And, if you liked this first book, there are plenty more to follow. (Joe Sixpack)

Please read all the books in this series!
In grammar school,"FREDDY" books were my favorites. I then graduated to Sherlock Holmes.I still love both "detectives"!Lucky you!All the books are available.I used to wait impatiently for each new one!

One of the greatest children' series of all time
This is book 1 of the Freddy series (note that it was not originally published with this title, and Freddy is not as much the focus as in later books).These stories of the adventures of the intelligent and sociable animals on the Bean farm are beautifully written, and have some dramatic tension but nothing over the top (no Moms are killed in these stories, unlike Disney's favorite ploy...).The stories introduce some wonderfully adult concepts (like politics, banking, running a business) with well-crafted characters that will broaden a child's understanding of what makes people tick.

The Book Which Got Me Into Reading
In 1955 I was eight, and the eldest of three brothers.My mother couldn't go to the grocery store with all of us so she'd drop me off at the children's room at the West Hartford, CT, public library, and pick me up on the way home.It was there that I discovered Freddy, and that pig spoke my language!It was Freddy, his wonderful compatriots on the Bean farm, and their fabulous adventures, that started me out right.Freddy Goes to Florida is the first of the series, and is where I recommend starting your own adventures with Freddy the Pig.Hats off to Overlook Press for re-publishing these books in their original look. ... Read more

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Provides an overview of Florida history, from pre-history to the present. ... Read more

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Discusses the land and climate, economy, government, and history of the state with a higher percentage of retirees than any other. Includes Internet links to Web sites, source documents, and photographs related to Florida. ... Read more

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Describes the history, geography, economy, wildlife, and principal cities of Florida. ... Read more

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Surveys the history, geography, economy, and people of Florida. ... Read more

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Discusses the geographic features and environmental concerns, history, government, people, and attractions of the state known as the "Sunshine State." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

disappointed with authors
i did enjoy reading the facts and history about my homestate, but i feel that the authors should have done more research. i don't think this book gave a best reprensentation of what florida is really all about. they totally excluded carribean americans. when they mentioned miami, they included little havana. how could you talked about little havana and skipped little haiti which is a community for haitian americans. this book made it seem like as if they're non-existent. also, they didn't go more in detail about the popular spots in fort lauderdale and palm beach. what about las olas???? i'm sure that's a pretty popular spot for tourists. and i'm suprised that they didn't even mention the universities and colleges we have here in florida. for these reasons, they didn't give me anything to "celebrate this state". i hope that in the near future, the authors will think about all the good parts they left out and include them.

Great for teaching about your state
I liked the way the author integrated stories and personal accounts into the informational sections.All of the people interviewed were personal friends of the author and the ease of which they tell their story shows.Children can comprehend on a more personal level the impact they may have on their state and with encouragement become active citizens.While the government section is a little bogged down, it serves as a good reference to get kids started. ... Read more

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Blackbirch Press is proud to introduce Spanish-language versions of our highly popular Jeff Corwin Experience series. Fifteen million viewers tune in to Jeff Corwin every month. His enthusiasm for nature combined with his fun-loving personality have made him a favorite of kids everywhere. Now, for the first time ever, the magic of The Jeff Corwin Experience is available in book form for young readers whose primary language is Spanish. In a landmark cooperative effort with Discovery Communications, the team at Blackbirch Press has created high-interest, fact-packed books on animals and habitats that also capture all the fun and excitement of the television program. ... Read more

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An introduction to the history, geography, natural resources, people, and places of interest of the Sunshine State. ... Read more

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Discusses the sixteenth-century exploration of Florida, from the early attempts of Ponce de Leon, Panfilo de Narvaes, and Hernando de Soto to the successful establishment of the settlement at St. Augustine. ... Read more